Social media has a way of making the strangest things go viral, and the latest trend has people scratching their heads. Videos showing potatoes in showers have racked up millions of views, leaving everyone wondering what’s actually happening. From pranks to beauty treatments, the humble potato has found its way into bathrooms across the internet. Some people swear by its benefits, while others are just in it for the laughs. The truth behind this trend is more varied than you might expect, spanning everything from skincare routines to hilarious practical jokes that’ll make you rethink your morning routine.
The soap prank that started it all
One of the most popular reasons people film potatoes in showers is for an incredibly simple prank. The concept is straightforward: replace someone’s bar of soap with a carved potato that looks like soap. When the unsuspecting person tries to lather up, they’ll find themselves rubbing a potato all over their body with absolutely no suds forming. The potato soap prank has become a favorite among couples and roommates looking for harmless ways to mess with each other.
The prank works best with white or light-colored potatoes that can be shaped and smoothed to resemble actual soap bars. Pranksters spend time carefully carving and shaping the potato, sometimes even wetting it slightly to make it more convincing. The reactions are usually priceless, ranging from confusion to frustration to genuine laughter once the victim realizes what happened. It’s become such a widespread joke that some people now check their soap before stepping into the shower, just to make sure they’re not the next target of this starchy deception.
Potato ice cubes for brighter skin
Beyond pranks, potatoes have gained attention in the beauty community for their potential skincare benefits. The trend involves blending raw potatoes with water, freezing the mixture into ice cubes, then rubbing these frozen potato cubes on your face and body during or after a shower. Potatoes contain vitamin C and antioxidants that some believe can help with skin brightness and reducing inflammation. This Korean beauty secret has crossed over into Western social media, with countless tutorials showing the process.
The application is simple: after blending potatoes and straining the mixture, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze overnight. During your shower routine, you grab one cube and massage it onto your skin in circular motions until it melts completely. Supporters claim it helps with dark spots, uneven skin tone, and general dullness. The cold temperature also provides a refreshing sensation and may temporarily tighten pores. While results vary from person to person, the trend has inspired many to experiment with this affordable alternative to expensive skincare products that promise similar benefits.
The glass cleaning method that doesn’t work
Some people have tried using potatoes to clean their shower doors and glass surfaces, claiming the oxalic acid in potatoes can cut through soap scum and water stains. The method involves cutting a potato in half and rubbing the cut side directly on shower glass, waiting a few minutes, then rinsing and drying. In theory, the natural starches and acids should lift dirt and leave glass sparkling. However, those who’ve tested this method report disappointing results that require significant cleanup afterward.
When tested by actual homeowners, the potato cleaning method typically leaves glass smudged and sticky rather than clean. The starchy residue from the potato creates more work than it saves, requiring additional scrubbing to remove. Most people who try this hack end up reaching for traditional glass cleaners anyway to fix the mess. While the idea sounds environmentally friendly and cost-effective, it’s one of those internet trends that looks better in theory than in practice. Standard shower sprays designed specifically for glass remain the more reliable choice for keeping shower doors clear and streak-free.
Standing in mashed potatoes as a foot treatment
Another unusual trend involves standing in warm mashed potatoes while showering or bathing as a form of foot spa treatment. People prepare a container of warm mashed potatoes and place their feet in it, claiming the texture provides exfoliation while the warmth soothes tired feet. The starch from the potatoes supposedly softens rough skin, and the unique sensation creates a different experience from regular foot soaks. Some users report that the heat stays trapped better than water alone, creating a longer-lasting warming effect.
Those who’ve experimented with this method describe the texture as oddly satisfying, different from the slippery feeling of water or oils. The warmth radiates through the feet in a way that standard foot baths don’t replicate. After standing in the mashed potatoes for several minutes, users rinse their feet thoroughly in the shower. While this definitely falls into the category of unusual self-care practices, some people genuinely enjoy the experience. However, it’s worth noting this creates significant cleanup work and uses a lot of potatoes for a single treatment, making it more of a novelty than a practical regular routine.
The TikTok challenge nobody asked for
Like many internet phenomena, potatoes in showers became a challenge simply because people found it absurd and funny. Some TikTok users film themselves eating raw potatoes in the shower, referencing memes about simulating what it was like to be a young Irish child during the potato famine. Others create elaborate scenarios involving potatoes in bathrooms purely for comedic content. The randomness of combining two unrelated things—potatoes and showers—creates humor through sheer absurdity.
These challenge videos often feature people doing ridiculous things with potatoes while water runs in the background, with no practical purpose beyond entertainment. The comments sections fill up with confused viewers asking for explanations, which only fuels more people to create their own versions. It’s the kind of harmless, weird content that social media algorithms seem to favor, spreading rapidly despite making little logical sense. The trend showcases how internet culture can turn literally anything into a viral moment, with potatoes somehow becoming the unlikely star of bathroom-related content.
Potato slices for healing and detox claims
Some alternative wellness enthusiasts promote placing potato slices on feet after a hot shower as part of detoxification rituals. The practice involves cutting raw potatoes into thick slices and securing them to the soles of feet with socks, sometimes leaving them overnight. Proponents claim potatoes can draw out toxins, reduce fever, or help with various ailments. These claims spread through social media, with testimonials describing potatoes turning dark after being worn on feet, supposedly proving they’ve absorbed harmful substances.
Similar practices include mixing potatoes with other ingredients like Epsom salt and apple cider vinegar for foot soaks immediately after showering. The combination supposedly creates a parasite foot detox, though scientific evidence for such claims remains limited. Potatoes naturally oxidize and turn brown when exposed to air and moisture, which explains the color change that believers interpret as proof of detoxification. While soaking feet in warm water with various additives can feel relaxing and soothing, the specific addition of potatoes doesn’t provide proven detoxifying benefits beyond what a regular foot soak offers.
Shower beer gets a starchy companion
The concept of shower beers—enjoying a cold beverage while taking a hot shower—has been around for years as a way to unwind. Now, some people have jokingly extended this concept to shower potatoes, bringing a raw potato into the shower to munch on. This started as ironic humor, with people posting photos or videos of themselves holding potatoes under running water. The absurdity of treating a potato like a shower beer became its own mini-trend.
Comments on these videos express both confusion and amusement, with viewers admitting they’d love to experience the relaxation of being that carefree potato. The shower potato phenomenon represents internet humor at its most random, where the joke is simply that there is no real joke. It’s comedy through unexpected juxtaposition, putting something ordinary in an unusual context. While nobody seriously recommends eating raw potatoes in the shower, the meme has staying power because it captures the kind of chaotic energy that defines modern social media content.
Idaho residents join the joke
Idaho, famous for potato production, couldn’t resist joining the conversation about potatoes in showers. Residents posted tongue-in-cheek videos claiming they shower with potatoes “just like every other law-abiding citizen,” playing into stereotypes about Idaho’s potato obsession. These videos often show bathrooms stocked with potatoes as if they’re standard shower supplies like shampoo and soap. The self-aware humor resonates with people both inside and outside Idaho who appreciate the state’s willingness to lean into potato-related jokes.
The Idaho angle adds a regional flavor to the trend, with locals treating potato showers as part of their cultural identity. Comments sections fill up with other states trying to claim their own shower companions based on local products, from Wisconsin residents suggesting cheese to Maine proposing lobsters. The lighthearted state pride creates community around an otherwise ridiculous concept. It demonstrates how local communities can take viral trends and make them their own through regional humor and identity, turning a random internet moment into something that connects people.
Content creators need weird material
For social media creators constantly searching for unique content, potatoes in showers provide easily accessible, low-cost material that stands out from typical posts. Creating potato-related bathroom content requires minimal investment—just a potato and a phone camera. The unusual nature of the subject matter increases the likelihood of videos being shared, commented on, and going viral. Creators know that strange, unexpected content often performs better than polished, conventional posts.
The algorithmic boost that comes from high engagement makes weird trends valuable currency for anyone building an online following. A simple video featuring a potato in unexpected places can generate thousands of views and comments from confused viewers demanding explanations. This engagement signals to platforms that the content is interesting, pushing it to more users. Content creators understand that sometimes the most successful posts are the ones that make absolutely no logical sense but capture attention through pure randomness. Potatoes in showers check all these boxes while remaining harmless and family-friendly content.
The potato shower trend shows how quickly random ideas spread online, transforming from pranks to beauty treatments to pure absurdist comedy. Whether you’re looking to mess with a roommate, try an unconventional skincare routine, or just participate in internet weirdness, potatoes have somehow earned their place in bathroom culture. Most of these methods range from ineffective to purely entertainment-based, but they’ve certainly succeeded in creating countless confused reactions and shared laughs across social media platforms everywhere.
